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Formerly a games developer, I am now studying for a PhD in microbial genetics.


1h
revised Are human males and females more genetically different than members of other species?
added 15 characters in body
15h
revised Are human males and females more genetically different than members of other species?
added 3 characters in body
18h
answered Are human males and females more genetically different than members of other species?
May
16
comment Why do eukaryotic organisms have introns in their DNA?
But prokaryotes do have introns - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC177115 - although on nowhere near the scale that Eukaryotes do.
May
15
comment Why aren't organelles considered alive?
In human cells, mitochondrial DNA codes for just 37 genes. All other genes required for mitochondrial function have been transfered to the nuclear DNA. Specifically the POLG and POLG2 genes that are involved in mitochondrial DNA replication are now located on chromosomes 15 and 17, so without being present in the host cell they could not replicate. The replication itself occurs in the mitochondria but the proteins needed are synthesised by the host machinery.
May
15
comment Why aren't organelles considered alive?
Neither Mitochondria nor Plasmids could maintain or replicate themselves outside of a cell because both have passed the genes that encode for key proteins over to the host cell.
Apr
18
comment Why are there no wheeled animals?
I mean that finding an animal with wheels would demonstrate both that it is anatomically possible and that it is evolutionarily possible. I consider both to be good arguments as to why we'll never find such a thing but I suspect the reality is that the space of possible organisms that might be anatomically possible has never actually been explored because there's no evolutionarily advantageous pathways that leads there.
Apr
17
comment Why are there no wheeled animals?
Equally I'd conclude there must be some anatomic way it works too.
Apr
17
comment Why are there no wheeled animals?
Um, I not sure which argument is strongest. I think I favour the evolutionary angle, myself. Both are though, I think, sufficient answers but the evolutionary one probably better reflects the historical reality of matter. Wheels didn't evolve because there was no beneficial intermediate for them to pass through.
Apr
16
answered Why are there no wheeled animals?
Apr
15
answered Whence fecal E. coli (et al.) if swallowing it is dangerous?
Mar
22
answered Is there a way to measure the amount of bytes that are possible to encode in a DNA molecule?
Mar
21
comment Why is that all the animals can swim in water without learning to swim but humans cannot?
I found a website that claims "Most animals are good swimmers. In fact, they can swim from the time they’re born. But some animals have to be taught how to swim. This group includes people, gorillas and chimpanzees."
Mar
21
answered Why is that all the animals can swim in water without learning to swim but humans cannot?
Mar
13
comment What is the difference between a circular and a cat's-eye pupil?
Your alternative explanation makes no sense: animals with vertical pupils have these pupils expand to circles in low light conditions so the slit is not used during night vision.
Mar
13
answered What is the difference between a circular and a cat's-eye pupil?
Mar
12
awarded  Enlightened
Mar
5
comment Perception of artificial light - flickering
I believe this answer is correct; but I think it's worth emphasising that these things are actually flickering. It's not an illusion; if anything the absence of flicker when directly observing is the illusion.
Mar
4
comment Types of bacteria that will kill other types of bacteria?
I doubt it. Such bacteria are extremely diverse and cover a large spread of species.
Feb
26
comment Effect of doubling volumes of PCR reagents
Older models simply raise the block to the temperature and don't worry about controlling for getting the liquid in the tube to the indicated temperature. In this case, it is possible that the real temperatures were different depending on volume.